Brokenly Twisted
by ThetaWolfe
Summary: In a future where Konoha burned, Naruto Uzumaki was dying, leaving Kyuubi with no choice. Waking up in his twelve year old body, fox ears and a tail was just one of the many new surprises awaiting his future. KakaNaru Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

_**WARNING: This story contains Yaoi (BoyxBoy love), graphic scenes, gore, smex, rape, torture, and anything else my twisted mind can come up with. This fanfic is extremely Mature (That's why it rated M). I will not be informing you when a mature scene comes up, for they are scattered throughout. You have been warned, if this is not the thing for you, or you are too young, turn away now! **_

_**PAIRINGS: Main = KakaNaru ;-), Others to be announced later.**_

_"Now they show you how detergents take out bloodstains, a pretty violent image there. I think if you've got a T-shirt with a bloodstain all over it, maybe laundry isn't your biggest problem. Maybe you should get rid of the body before you do the wash."_  
-_Jerry Seinfeld._

**W-T-F**

Uzumaki Naruto never understood true pain before that day. He thought that pain couldn't get worse then what he had experienced as a helpless, clueless child. Between the beatings and the rapes he figured he had felt it all. He was wrong, he was so very, very wrong. He never knew what it felt like to die, to have his insides melt and boil, as his flesh broke, cracked, and then just dissolve into disgusting ooze onto the floor under him.

The young man stopped screaming a long time ago, not because he didn't want to but simply because he couldn't. His vocal cords have stopped working after two hours. The Bijuu's red tainted chakra was killing him from the inside out but repairing the damage and keeping him alive at the same time. It was pure torture, but not even Kyuubi could take his mind and shield it from the pain because he was experiencing the same thing.

Naruto's eyes had turned red when the first tail ripped its way out of his body. His nails had turned to claws and his canines lengthened. Fox ears grew out of his head as the seventh tail emerged from his lower spine.

The soldier was beyond all rational thought; all he knew was the pain and agony his world was revolving around. But that was okay, he deserved it. He had let them die; all of his friends were dead because he couldn't save him. He did deserve it, right? Another tail made of pure chakra ripped its way out and Naruto could no longer concentrate on anything but the pain.

Naruto had completely given up on escaping when the fourth tail emerged and all he could think about was the agony of burning alive without the added benefit of dying. Though the process of extracting the nine tailed fox demon would eventually kill him he wouldn't die until the last tail emerged. It took nearly two hours for each tail to appear and he was now on the seventh.

Uchiha Madara watched on in glee as his plan was finally coming to an end. Once he had the power of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, he could bring the entire shinobi world to its knees. Madara had even taken the time to torture him hours before the actual extraction even began.

Naruto and he had spent nearly a full day together, just them and his toys. He had violated him in the worst way possible, over and over again, and watched in fascination as the Kyuubi vessel healed all of his injuries. He had taken an especially sick pleasure in forcing himself inside the unprepared man below him, and then felt as Kyuubi healed the damage around his cock. It had felt amazing, like he was taking a virgin, again and again.

After he was done and tired for the moment, he would call in some of his subordinates to keep the blonde company until he was recovered enough to start again. He never heard a more exquisite scream then the one that tore its way out of the blonde's throat as he took him again and again, either with his own dick, or his many toys he had lying around. He had especially loved the sounds of denial the Jinchuriki had made when he had cummed deep inside of him, his pleas for him to pull it out, to cum somewhere else, just not inside of him. Madara had of course ignored him…most of the time, after all the blonde looked gorgeous covered in semen, eyes full of tears, and his cum falling off of his face.

By the time he was through playing with the younger man, the vessel was begging to be put out of his misery, and Madara was more then happy to comply. Not immediately though.

Kyuubi no Kitsune had not given up hope though, he fought through the pain and started to gather what strength he could to prepare both himself and his host for what was to come. Just as the ninth and final tail emerged the demon lord released the chakra all at once while reciting words in a long dead language.

Madara could see the red chakra as it started to pull away from the jinchuriki. His smile of triumph was ripped from his face when the chakra, instead of being sucked up into the statue turned around and went back to the blonde man lying upon the table. Words dark and sinister filled the air in a language he had never heard before. The gathering chakra started to swirl around the table and the whole room started to shake. The ceiling was crumbling above him as the walls cracked around him, and floor started to fall from underneath him. The whole building was coming down.

Abandoning his subjects and the young man who lay upon the table which he was so enamored with just moments prior, Madara fled from the room and made his way outside. It was all for nothing, his years of careful planning was falling apart around him, just like the building was.

The blonde, loudmouth shinobi screamed in agony for the first and last time. His body encased in the red chakra disappeared.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-

A hand flew out from underneath the covers of the bed as it slammed on the annoying green frog alarm effectively shutting it off before it snaked its way back underneath to the warmth. It stayed there for a minute before it reappeared with its counterpart and ripped the blanket from around the figure. A young child sat upon the bed, blonde hair spiked in every direction, huge blue eyes looking around in confusion, as if he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.

His mouth opened and closed like a gapping fish in dire need of water before words started to form. "Wha'-The-Fuck?"

Not the most eloquent of words uttered at seven o'clock in the morning, nor were they the most appropriate for a child of his age. But they did sum up his situation quite well. Uzumaki Naruto sat in his bed that he hadn't slept in nearly seven years, inside an apartment that no longer existed, within a city that had been destroyed. He had a right to be confused, and confused he was, in fact he was more then confused, what he was they had no word for it.

"What-The-Fuck," his voice, clearly juvenile, high pitched, hasn't-hit-puberty-yet voice rang loudly through the desolate room. He repeated that same appropriate-inappropriate three words, hoping that by saying them it would reveal the strange events that were unfolding before them, and in a way they did.

A voice rang out through his ears, heard by none other then him. It held such wisdom and age, hate and love, and couldn't possible exist, but it did. _**"Come to me," **_it said, and he did.

Naruto closed his eyes, shutting out the image that couldn't possible be there, yet it was, and entered into a light meditation. It wasn't long before he found himself standing before the cage that housed the most feared demon in the entire human realm. Two large red eyes gazed at him through the bars too large for the beast to fit through, but plenty large enough for a child of his size. The blonde shinobi entered the cage, never once fearing for his life, and approached Kyuubi no Kitsune, the greatest of all Biju, who was lying down looking completely and utterly exhausted.

"_**I am sorry Kit, this was the only solution."**_

Naruto looked at the fox before him in confusion and waited for the ancient being to elaborate. _**"We were dying, it was the only solution."**_

"What the hell are you talking about, what solution. What the fuck is going on Kyuu? One minute I'm on the table being tortured by that mad man, and the next I wake up in my old apartment that burned down years ago," he was getting impatient. Kyuubi could tell just by his stance. The human stood before him, hands on his hips, leaning forward though he had to look up, indignation coloring each and every word. The demon lord would have found it amusing if the situation was anything but.

"_**That damn human was taking me from you, killing us both. I had no other choice. I brought us back."**_

Naruto looked around confused for second; as if the surroundings of his mindscape could reveal the answer the damned fox seemed to be dancing around. "Brought us back where?"

"_**To the beginning, to change everything, or nothing; it is your choice. Welcome to your past, Kit."**_

"My past…" It took nearly five whole minutes for the information to sink in. But when it finally did__Naruto could do nothing but stand there gob-smacked. _'The past, he brought me back to the past?'_

A million scenarios ran through the blonde's head, the things he could do, the people he could save, the chances he could make. And then the other side of the coin showed its dirty face. He couldn't live through it all again, Jiji dying, his friends withering away as the years took the toll on them, Konoha burning to the ground.

Kyuubi interrupted him before his thoughts could turn darker. _**"There is something else, Kit, and you're not going to like it,"**_ he waited till he had the human's attention before continuing. _**"The jutsu I used to bring us here, the jutsu that saved our lives, involved all of my Youki condensing within you at the exact same moment in order to work. A human body was never meant to hold so much Demonic Chakra. I had to alter you in order to ensure your survival."**_

"Alter how?"

His only reply was for Kyuubi to expel him from the prison, and Naruto found himself back in his impossible room, sitting in his impossible bed within the impossible village. Getting up, the now-boy made his way to the bathroom, having the sudden urge to look into a mirror. He knew he wouldn't like what he would see, but the container had always been slightly masochistic.

A long while passed before a reaction tore its way out of the juvenile body. A broken, disbelieving sob ripped its way from his throat as he gazed at his now twelve-year-old body. Two fluffy yellow red-tipped fox ears were perched upon his head, laying flat back into his blonde red-streaked hair in fear. His cerulean blue eyes were the same, except for the slitted pupils and his whisker marks were darker and longer, giving him a more feral look. The new elongated canines didn't help at all. His body was lithe and more muscular then he remembered. Claws had replaced his fingernails, and a yellow red-tipped bushy tail was now present at the base of his spine. It couldn't possibly get any worse then this.

Kyuubi had left him alone for a while to come to terms with their new predicament. But after an hour he was getting impatient. _**"Hurry up, Kit, or you'll be late to meet your new Jounin sensei. Oh, and might I suggest dropping a henge around your new appendages, the last thing you need is for someone to see you like this."**_

"Wha-what the hell did you do!"

Naruto could hear the fox sigh in exasperation. _**"What I had to. You are now hanyou, a half demon. Get used to it, Kit, because it won't change."**_

The newly titled hanyou stood in front of the mirror for several more minutes before his tenant's prompting got him moving again. He moved slowly, as if sedated, and grabbed his impossible orange jumpsuit that he hadn't worn in five years. Naruto stared at it for a moment before he put it on. He went back to the bathroom to brush his teeth and ended up breaking the mirror half way through in disgust.

Making his way to the window, Naruto almost leapt out to make his way to the academy before Kyuubi reminded him of his Hitai-ate lying innocently upon his night stand. He hadn't worn it for many years, not after Konahagakure burned, nobody had. He picked it up carefully as if expecting it to disappear at his touch. Tears came unbidden to his eyes as he remembered that this Hitai-ate used to belong to Iruka, his brother-father-friend, who had died protecting him. He could still remember his screams of pain and how they stopped so abruptly.

"_**You're going to be late, Kit,"**_ Kyuubi's voice was tired, but filled with compassion as Naruto wiped the tears away angrily, cast a henge upon his new features, and made his way to the academy.

He ran across the roof tops, he didn't think he could handle the villagers' glares at the weak emotional level he was at. Just as he was about to enter the school, Naruto took a moment to collect himself. Taking three deep breaths, he gathered his emotions, placed them within a chamber of his mind, closed the door and barred it shut, sealing them for the time being. He then carefully erected a mask around himself, of what he once was, and plastered a too big, too wide smile on his face and made his way inside. After all he didn't want anybody to become suspicious of him, because if they did, then they would see what a real monster he was.

It was with a heavy heart and mind that Naruto Uzumaki, the village idiot and prankster, twenty-four year old turned twelve, walked into the dead classroom full of dead friends.


	2. Chapter 2

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

_**WARNING: This story contains Yaoi (BoyxBoy love), graphic scenes, gore, smex, rape, torture, and anything else my twisted mind can come up with.**_

_**PAIRINGS: Main = KakaNaru ;-)**_

"_The only way to comprehend what mathematicians mean by Infinity is to contemplate the extent of human stupidity."_

_-Voltaire_

**Not So Easy, Is It?**

Hatake Kakashi entered the classroom slowly, nose in the new Icha Icha Paradise he had just bought, three hours late, smile on his face, and in a relatively good mood. As the door opened, he felt the release of the trap, but didn't bother to dodge, the book was far to interesting, and it was just an eraser. The Jounin looked up at his Genin team when the eraser hit him on the head and promptly put his book away.

"My first impression is…I hate you. Meet me on the roof." And then he used Shunshin to body flicker away to the roof of the building and sat to await his team. He knew he was going to fail them already, just like every other team he had before, but he couldn't do it immediately since the Sandaime had informed him of the last Uchiha's placement under his care. No, he would do it tomorrow after the survival test. That way he could tell the Hokage that he at least tried, and that they were just that bad.

He only had to wait several more minutes before his team finally burst out of the stair well and sat in a semi-circle in front of him. He smiled at them momentarily, his eye turning into an upside down U before he started to speak. "OK, well, introduce yourselves, your likes, dislikes, dreams, etc."

Nobody started to talk and Kakashi was about to start calling names when the pink haired girl slowly raised her hand as if unsure. He nodded his head to the girl and she asked, "Why don't you go first Sensei, so we know what to say?" She then turned to the Uchiha and smiled as if she had done that only for his benefit.

Kakashi sighed before he introduced himself. "My name is Hatake Kakashi, you can call me Kakashi-Sensei, I have many likes, few dislikes, and my dreams are my own. Your turn, Pinky."

The others seemed to sweat drop as his very uninformed not-answer was finished.

"Ok," Sakura started. He brought up her file mentally as he half listened to her love filled answer. She was a fairly average student, with fairly average looks. Her forte was really chakra control, since she didn't have much, and _maybe_, and that was really stressing the maybe, strategy.

When she finished practically declaring her love for the black haired boy next to her, the said boy began his introduction filled with depressing emo-ness and avenge-full ambitions. His file was a little more impressive, excelling in Nin-jutsu, followed closely by his Tai-jutsu. Everything else was pretty average. He was no Itachi; that was for sure.

The blonde Jinchuriki was the last to introduce himself. His file was abysmal. The only reason he had passed because of the incident with one of his instructors and learning the Kage-Bunshin, which was a feat within itself. _'He must have amazing Chakra reserves, which is understandable because of IT.'_

Kakashi pulled himself back to reality just as the Naruto declared he was going to be Hokage and sighed. He just had the worst luck; he got a love struck pink _thing_, an emo avenger, and the village idiot. It was karma, he was sure of it. "Meet me at training ground four at seven o'clock tomorrow morning for your survival training. And don't eat breakfast, you might throw up."

"But Kakashi-Sensei, we already had survival training." The Pink _Thing,_ no…Sakura, he corrected himself, practically whined.

"Actually," He then spent the next five minutes filling them with terror and enjoyed every second of it, before he yet again Shunshin'ed away. He didn't go far; in fact he went to the large tree several yards away in order to observe his new team.

Masking his chakra, just in case one of his team was more advanced then they let on, Kakashi put his money on Sasuke, he watched as the Uchiha left after a moment. Sakura screaming about a date the whole way, following him like a love-struck puppy. The second they were gone, the too-big, too-wide smile that graced Uzumaki's face disappeared and was replaced by that of apathy.

No emotion shown on any part of his face, eyes, or body, as he watched his team leave to do whatever. He stayed there for several more moments, seemingly lost in thought, before he Shunshin'ed away as well. Kakashi watched on in interest as the dead-last of the class preformed a jutsu that only Jounin are taught, with apparent ease. It seemed he needed to look over his files again; he obviously missed something of great importance if today was anything to go by.

Uzumaki Naruto was not what he seemed, and Kakashi was going to find out exactly what the blonde haired child was hiding.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Naruto Body Flickered into his apartment and walked slowly to his bed. He made it just over half way there before he completely broke down. Falling to his knees, he grabbed unto the door frame and the wall held most of his weight as great body shaking sobs overtook him. It was harder then he thought, being normal, being who he once was, watching them _be_ who they once were. It was simply too hard and it left him an emotional wreck afterwards.

It wasn't just seeing the faces of those who are dead, but the encounter with Madara had badly affected him, more then he was willing to admit. He had sat in-between Kiba and Shikamaru, with Shino behind him. Just being in such close proximity to anyone after what that twisted Uchiha had done to him had taken more self control then he knew he had.

-_Hands gliding on bare flesh, biting into skin, leaving bruises in their wake. "So beautiful," whispered words, vile, unwanted. Fingers digging, seeking, taking. Nudge, pain filled whimpers, laughter coming from his tormentor. "Tell me you want it, beg me for it." Words pleading, _

"_No, please," and "Stop!" More laughter. Pushing, pushing, pushing. The sound of skin slapping bare skin, harsh grunting, guttural laughing. Tears, pain, and blood. "No, Please!"-_

Naruto had to repeatedly tell himself that these people would never hurt him like that, but it didn't stop himself from shaking the entire time; sweat beading down his back, and face pale, he was lucky nobody had noticed his current state of impending mental breakdown. It was only because of Kyuubi's constant reassurances only he could hear, and gentle reminders of when to act like an idiot that he was able to stay under the radar, by standing out in true Uzumaki Naruto fashion. He yelled in joy and disgust at the appropriate times, saying relatively the same things he had the first time around, and just acting like a fool.

He had debated with both himself and Kyuubi about setting the trap for his sensei, but in the end he decided to go for it. After all, the younger Naruto would have done something stupid out of boredom and he didn't want anybody to notice the huge flaw in his character now.

When Kakashi-Sensei had walked through the door and into his trap on purpose, he knew that now, his heart seemed ready to give out and his head was pounding with the start of a migraine. He hadn't realized how much he had missed the man before him, with his wild silver hair, Hitai-ate over the Sharingan, and mask over the perfectly sculpted face, marred only by the scar that started on his eyebrow and went all the way to his chin. He almost broke down in tears as he gazed at the man he had loved.

Kakashi never knew, of course, he died before Naruto could confess his feelings, but that didn't stop Naruto from loving him all the same. He even remembered the first time he had seen the silver haired Jounin without his mask. They had been sharing a tent after Konoha had been destroyed; Tsunade's tent was just a few yards away from them with the Ero-Sannin. They had created a base of operations almost, in the clearing, tents ranged in the hundreds, and unfortunately the majority of the people were civilians that had been evacuated.

It wasn't just Konoha either; it was also Suna's people since their town also lay in ruins, completely buried by the sand now. Gaara had made it out with his citizens and several ANBU, a dozen Jounin, and maybe twenty Chuunin. His siblings had not been so lucky. His brother had died protecting their escape, and his sister, who had been fatally wounded, had survived in agony for three days before succumbing to her injuries. That was the first time he had ever seen Gaara cry, it was also the last. In his anger, Gaara led a full scale attack against Orochimaru. He died before Naruto was able rescue him.

It had been just a week after the Kazekage's death, and the Jinchuriki had been eating breakfast within his shared tent. Kakashi-Senpai had walked in and joined him, pulled down his mask, and ate his own breakfast. Naruto had been so lost in his own misery that he hadn't noticed until his old sensei was nearly done with his food. When he did notice, no words of joy came out, no exclamations of I-told-you-so, no ridiculous comment about why he keeps his face covered, he just smiled. Kakashi had smiled back and they finished breakfast in silence.

That evening Kakashi took a team out for reconnaissance; he never made it back. Naruto and Sakura found his mutilated body two days later just outside of their patrolled perimeter. His head was placed on a pike just above his body, both eyes missing, tongue cut out, lips sown shut, and agony twisting his features even in death. Part of Naruto broke that day, seeing his love so brutalized in the name of war, Sakura weeping in his arms; he locked himself away, hoping to never again feel what his heart felt right then.

Not even Sakura's death through poisoning broke him out of his apathy. No, it wasn't until two years later, under the tender ministrations of Uchiha Madara that finally broke through his uncaring shell and made him feel all new forms of pain.

_**"Its okay, Kit. It's all going to be okay. You'll see. They are alive here, in your past, you can save them."**_ Kyuubi's voice washed over him, lessening his sobs until just a few tears trailed down his cheeks and Naruto sat upon the ground, rocking himself back and forth in a self comforting gesture. _**"It's going to be alright."**_

That night, when Naruto slept, memories of his past, their future, overtook him. Not even Kyuubi could draw the now child away from such painful dreams. Instead he was forced to watch as his kit was tortured again and again and again. It would be different this time; he would make sure of it.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Naruto awoke three hours before the allotted time, his head full of the dead as his mind tried to separate itself from his nightmare. It had been a bad one, but at least he hadn't screamed, he was very close though. Sweat poured down his face and torso, soaking his sleeping shirt, harsh pants ripped their way out of his lungs as if he just ran a marathon, and his eyes were unfocused and haunted.

It took him nearly a full hour to pull himself back to his senses. The green from alarm clock stood innocently off to the side, flashing an ugly 4:15 AM at him. "Uhng," he only got two hours of sleep.

Deciding that going back to sleep was a stupid decision, Naruto pulled himself out of the bed and onto shaky legs. His whole body was trembling. "Damn it," he muttered to himself when he realized that the Henge he had placed upon himself had fallen off when he was asleep, he prayed to every deity he knew that nobody happened to wonder past his window and looked in.

Shaking his head in disbelief and vowing to fix the whole sleeping Henge-ing problem the moment he could, he made his way to take a shower that was long overdue. Naruto couldn't remember the last time he took and honest to god shower. They didn't have such luxuries at the front lines, the closest anybody got to a shower was taking a dip in the below freezing river.

_ -"Come on, Sakura," pink hair shaking in negative at the words._

_ "I'm not getting in there," lips pursed, grimacing. "It's _lake_ water, and it's like negative five degrees out."_

_ Laughter, leaves falling from trees: red, orange, brown. "You said you wanted to get clean," step closer, hand reaching._

_ Narrowed eyes, step back, distrust. More laughter, glee, joy. Lunge, grab, yank, scream. "Naruto! Put me down!" Struggling, moving, laughter. "Don't you freaking dare. NARUTO!"-_

He made his way into the bathroom, glancing at his reflection in the cracked mirror and quickly turned away. It was just like him, broken. He turned the shower on and stripped as it heated up. It was Godly that was the only way to explain it. Warm water poured down his back and eased his tense muscles. He stood there for a good five minutes before he actually started to wash himself. His tail took the longest because it was so sensitive. Just touching it sent wave after wave of pleasure raking through his body and it took him a while to shampoo it up and then wash it out through his pleasure filled mind.

He was hard, he knew that, but he refused to look at it or do anything for it. He had been hard for Madara as well. Naruto's stomach rolled unpleasantly as his mind conjured the images of the Uchiha above him, touching him, making him aroused, before shoving his huge cock inside of him. When he had done it the first time, he had thought he was being shredded from the inside out. He had never felt such a pain before.

-_"Open your eyes, boy," thrust, push, pull. "Oh, liked that did you? What was that? You want more?" Laughter.-_

Madara loved doing that, arousing the blonde Jinchuriki to the point of almost cumming, and then thrusting himself as deeply as he could inside of the young man underneath him, watching as the pain caused his arousal to wither. Naruto was no stranger to sex; he had done it with both guys and girls, and found both quite enjoyable. He had found that with guys he really liked it rough, but Madara took rough to a whole new level.

Naruto was disgusted at himself the first time he got hard for the older man, but after the fourth or fifth time, he couldn't care less. Madara never let him cum anyways, at first he angry that he couldn't get his own release, but now he was glad he didn't. He didn't think he could hate himself anymore then he did now.

The young now boy came to when the water started to turn cold. He was only slightly happy to note that his penis was once again flaccid due to the twisted turn his thoughts took. _'I'm so fucked up.'_

Stepping out of the shower, he dried himself off slowly, avoiding his tail with care, and noted that he would need a lot more shampoo. Casting a quick henge, he walked over to his dresser and again donned the far-too-orange-to-be-natural outfit and made his way to meet with team seven. He didn't eat breakfast, not because Kakashi-Sensei told them not to, but because after the shower incident, he doubted he would be able to stomach any food until much, much later.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Naruto was late, but that wasn't saying much because so was their Sensei. He still had to endure Sakura's reprimanding, several hits over the head and Sasuke's very smug look. But he could really care less, because they were alive here and that was all that mattered. They were forced to wait almost another hour before their Jounin-Sensei showed up with a hop in his step, book in his hand, and excuse on his lips.

-_"Why are you always _so_ tardy?" Chuckle, smile creasing the mask, orange book, page turned, attention diverted. "Fine, be difficult. See if I care." Scoff.-_

After both he and Sakura screamed, "LIAR," at him at the top of there lungs, the test began. And this time, instead of challenging him like he had before, Naruto followed his two teammate's example and ran off into the forest to hide himself.

It was harder then he thought to be so close to the man he loved and yet so far. The age gap was once again a pressing matter, but this time Naruto was just a child, and he was Kakashi's _student_. They would not be able to pursue any sort of relationship for many, many more years. Kakashi had only seen Naruto as an adult in the last year before he had died; Naruto had been twenty-four at the time.

_ -"How do you even know what that means?" Stunned, blush creeping upon exposed skin._

_ "Please, Kashi," scoff, chuckle, blush. "I'm hardly a kid anymore. I know all about where babies _really_ come from. Besides, Ero-Sannin told me-" gloved hand slapped over open mouth. Confusion. The scent of dogs, cinnamon, ozone, and fresh rain._

_ "We are so not having this conversation."-_

His heart ached from the distance that stood between them, and yet he knew that they would never…could never be. Even if, by some miracle, Kakashi did show interest, he wouldn't want Naruto now, not after he had been soiled as he was. He was disgusting and unlovable; a child who once loved the world and wanted nothing other then to be loved and accepted in return could now no longer stand the sight of himself or the touch of another human being.

A scream tore him from his musings; it was Sakura getting stuck in the Gen-jutsu. As Naruto stood and made his way to his fallen teammate, he vowed that no matter what he would save his precious people and protect them as best as he could, even if they could never love him in return.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Kakashi sat upon a log, reading the infamous orange book, and being the epitome of boredom. He had already caught Sakura in a low level Gen-jutsu and fought Sasuke and now he was bored. He had thought that Naruto would have been the first one to attack him, but he was proven wrong since he hasn't seen hide of hair of the little blonde Jinchuriki. Kakashi paused in his reading of the Icha Icha book and went over in his head what he knew about his students, well more like student.

Sasuke and Sakura had proven that their files were mostly accurate, but Naruto's for some reason was turning out to be disgustingly wrong. This morning he went to go talk to the Hokage about his findings and the Sandaime had seemed as surprised as he was when he found out that Naruto could perform a Jounin level Jutsu. It seemed nobody had any idea. After talking with the old man for the better part of an hour, he was sent to go talk with the boy's academy teacher Iruka.

That had been why he was late, because the man had insisted that the Jounin was mistaken, in fact he insisted upon it for nearly two hours. In his frustration, the Chuunin marched over to his filing cabinet, ripped it upon, and threw Uzumaki's file down upon the desk and demand he read it…all of it.

The majority of the file consisted of Naruto's detentions because of his tardiness, sleeping in class, loudness, and his love of pulling pranks. What it didn't consist of was what Kakashi was positive he saw within the blue eyes of the young boy: apathy. Everything about the file screamed how boisterous, fun loving, happy go lucky kid he was, but his eyes told a different story. The cried in pain, torture, self-loathing, and fear.

It seemed Uzumaki Naruto had done something not even the infamous Copy-cat Hatake Kakashi could accomplish; he had created a layer that no one could detect. Uzumaki Naruto had created an invisible mask, and nobody had even known.


	3. Chapter 3

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

_"At a train station the train stops. At a bus station the bus stops. At my desk is a work station…I think you can figure out the rest."_

**Teamwork for Dummies**

It took very little time to find his unconscious teammate. Sky blue eyes gazed upon the Kunoichi with disbelief. The Sakura he knew was strong and confident, independent and individualistic. The Sakura he knew would never be caught in such a weak Gen-jutsu let alone faint. But this wasn't the Sakura he knew…at least not yet.

Naruto made his way over to the pink haired Shinobi carefully. Sharp and intelligent eyes darted around his surroundings as only a paranoid war torn soldier could. He wouldn't put it past Kakashi to leave a surprise behind for the misfortunate and unobservant.

The Jinchuriki made it to his teammate's side completely unharmed and even more unsettled. One un-callous tan hand gripped the Kunoichi's shoulder and shook the unmoving body into wakefulness. Slowly, Sakura opened her eyes and Naruto watched impassively as the confusion set in. In seconds clarity came back to her and she sat up in surprise as a scream erupted from her throat only to be stalled by the dead-last's hand.

Sakura glared daggers at the male who dared to touch _her_, and was winding up into a long rant and severe beating. This, however, was also prematurely aborted by the blonde before her. He put a finger to his own lips and shushed her before looking around frantically. She hadn't made much noise, but it was enough to draw attention to their location. Only once he was sure of her continued silence did Naruto remove his hand from her mouth.

Sakura's eyes swept the clearing as well and upon realizing there was nothing there, returned her furious gaze to Naruto once again. The blonde could practically feel the Kunoichi's cooperation evaporating so he needed to say something before she did something stupid. Like yell some more.

Naruto knew this was a test, that they were never in any real danger, but a habit built upon time, repetition, necessity, and the dead, was not so easily stamped out. "Sensei isn't far away, we need to be quiet."

Before Sakura could begin to question his serious demeanor, Naruto turned to her with a blinding grin. "At least I think he is," a hand came up and scratched the back of his head as he chuckled lightly in embarrassment. "Ne, Sakura-chan, could you help me get the bells from Kakashi-Sensei?"

Naruto hoped she didn't notice as his voice cracked over their teacher's name. Oh how he missed the man he once knew. But he knew that he had _years_ of bearable tolerance and avoidance to look forward too. Kakashi looked to Sasuke for the longest time before his gaze turned to the blonde Jinchuriki. It would hurt, he knew, but Naruto had dealt with much worse in his sickening short life, he could-_would_ deal with this.

"Naruto," she hissed loudly, thankfully she did it at a whisper. The young shinobi wasn't sure how she could do that, as he had never been able to master the 'yelling whisper' as Kakashi had called it. Before, when he was a child, he could barely manage the whisper part at all. But now, it seemed wrong to be so loud.

-_Light steps, advancing further into foliage. Stay hidden, stay in the shadows. Quiet now, if they can't hear you they can't find you. Urgency, desperation, so little time. Wrong step, twig snap. Chakra flare, eyes in the trees, surrounded. Flee, don't let them catch you."-_

"Go away, Sasuke and I will get the bells and _you_ will be sent back to the academy."

Naruto knew to expect this, this _pettiness_, but it still hurt. Thankfully he had a lot of practice smiling through heartbreak, and the emptiness didn't show upon his idiotically smiling face. "Besides," she continued after a moment. "Nobody wants you on their team."

With that Sakura stood and started to search for her beloved. She didn't get far before Naruto's words halted her retreat. "Teams."

She whirled around, cherry blossom hair twirling around her only to settle on one side. Naruto had lost any romantic relations a long time ago, but even so, he couldn't deny that she looked beautiful just then. "What?"

A thoughtful look appeared on the whisker marked face. "Teams of three…" slowly his thoughtful blue eyes left the sky and landed on the confused green ones of his teammate. "Two bells and teams of three."

Finally, finally Sakura seemed to be getting the bigger picture. Two pale pink eyebrows drew together and lips pursed in thought. "Two bells, and teams of three…" she echoed. Naruto watched her expectantly, letting her work it out. It wouldn't do to let them know it was the dead-last to figure out the test. No, it was much safer to drop a hint and let Sakura take the praise for being the genius, leaving Naruto in the background, just like he wanted it to be.

Suddenly Sakura burst into action, startling the damaged boy and yelling, "Come on," as she latched onto one of his arms.

He was shuddering, he knew it, he could _feel_ it. His muscles were contracting and his skin was twitching, trying to rid itself of the unwanted contact, as his body remembered the last person to touch him. He didn't like it, didn't like the contact, the way his body reacted to contact, and how he desperately wished someone would just hold him. All his life he sought out human contact and now…and now.

-_Arm twisting behind, too far, too much. Breaking, snap. Scream, laughter. "That's it, scream for me." Push, thrust, yank. "You have such a pretty voice," hand on throat, pulling back. Lungs burning, can't breathe. Good arm grabbing, pulling, struggling. "That's it, fight it boy. Nngh, yeah, just like that," thrust, pull, push. _

"_Fuck, uhng, yeah. So fucking tight, ride me boy," struggling, fighting, begging. "You want me to break the other one?" Hand on ass, smack, whimper. Laughing. "Ahh, nngh, oh yeah, just like that." Bounce, bounce, thrust. "Fuck, ahh, ahh, ungh. Faster!"-_

Naruto shook his head to get away from those thoughts. He didn't want to remember, not now, not in public, not around _people_. Taking several deep breaths, the broken blonde child pulled his scattered thoughts together in the semblance of sanity and labeled it normal. Later…later, when he was in the privacy of his own home would he let himself shatter into a thousand pieces of twisted memories. Later.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

"You all…Pass!" Kakashi exclaimed loudly, looking upon the three preteens with something akin to pride. They had seen through his test and worked together as a team. No, they didn't actually get the bells, but that wasn't the actual point of the exercise.

"Yatta!" Sakura and Naruto both shouted loudly. The blonde jumped in the air in excitement while the Kunoichi jumped on Sasuke. Kakashi thought it was rather comical and had to suppress a chuckle that was threatening to bubble to the surface.

The Jounin straightened, still smiling, book away for once, and grabbed the three children's wondering attention. "How did you figure it out?"

The pink haired girl beamed at him with a grin that made her face look too wide. "I figured it out. Genin teams are made up of three person cells. Two bells and teams of three," here she turned her gaze to the boy who was trying to free him arm from the human leech that had attached itself to it. "It wasn't that hard."

The smile didn't leave his face but his one visible eye narrowed. She was lying. Kakashi gave a side long glance to Naruto but the boy was just nodding his head along with Sakura's self-gratification story. He knew Naruto was the one to figure it out, seeing as he had been in a tree listening to their conversation with chakra enhanced hearing. So why wasn't he denying it. Kakashi knew that if he had been in the same situation at that age he would want to take the credit for his own reasoning skills.

"Okay, team," he stated, grabbing their wandering attention once again. "Meet at the bridge tomorrow at seven for our first mission. Don't be late."

Sasuke, of course, was the first to leave. Unfortunately the human leech was still attached to his appendage. Naruto started to follow them, but a hand on his shoulder halted his progress.

Kakashi frowned as he placed a gentle hand on the child to have a word with him. The boy had flinched at the touch and had barely refrained from attacking him. Even the Jounin's normal eye couldn't miss his hand twitching towards his weapon pouch and the way his body leaned away as if he was about to throw his weight into breaking the hold. It was all aborted quickly though and instead it appeared as if he had just seized.

The small shoulder underneath his hand was tense and Kakashi could feel the muscles quivering. Slowly, he removed his hand and Naruto turned towards him. A jolt went through his heart and settled uncomfortably in his stomach as the Jinchuriki smiled at him. The mask he saw the day before had slipped. It was almost imperceptible and he wouldn't have noticed the change if he hadn't been actively looking for it. It was his eyes, dear Kami his eyes. They were dead.

It took everything in his power to keep from doing one of several things. His first reaction was to flinch away from the emotionless and broken gaze of his student, but he resisted. Just like he resisted demanding answers or pulling the child into a comforting hug and never letting go. Instead he just smiled back and leaned down a little so they were more at eye level.

"What's the matter, Kakashi-Sensei?"

His voice was that of a child, infinitely curious and far too trusting. But his eyes told another story. Barely concealed suspicion almost covered up the flash of fear he saw. Kakashi almost frowned at that. His students should never have the need to fear him…but this one did, and it left an odd ache in his chest. The body language he was displaying was relaxed but the former ANBU was not so easily fooled. The kid was ready to make a break for it the second he had reason too.

"Ne, Naruto," Kakashi kept the gentle smile behind his mask and his voice calm. He talked to him as if he would a dangerous and frightened animal. "Why did you let Sakura take the credit?"

It wasn't the question he wanted to ask, but he felt that Naruto would flee before it had even finished forming on his lips. This question was much more neutral and he was generally curious about it as well. A look of feigned, and he knew it was fake, confusion crossed the whisker marked face. "What do you mean, Sensei? Take credit for what?"

If he hadn't known any better Kakashi would have thought that the blond Jinchuriki was as clueless as everyone said he was. But he did know better. Naruto knew exactly what he was talking about, and the blue eyes demanded him to call him on it.

Kakashi was no expert on the art of communication or subtlety but he knew enough to not push his luck. The second he broached the topic Naruto would be long gone, and he would continue to be wary. No, there was different ways he could handle this. He contemplated Ibiki momentarily before casting the thought out of his mind. Not only did he not want his student in pain, but he honestly couldn't stand torture. Besides, Naruto was clearly already being tortured by something, and no matter how much he wanted to know, he wouldn't push his luck now.

He sighed internally. It seemed he would have to go about this the long way then. Kakashi would have to earn the boy's trust, and that would take time. Time they clearly had as he was now his Jounin-Sensei.

"Never mind, Naruto," Kakashi said, still smiling gently at the child in front of him. He stifled the sudden urge to ruffle the blonde hair that was in disarray. The boy clearly did not like being touched. "Go home and get some rest, tomorrow will be a busy day. You're going to need your strength." And like that the Jinchuriki was gone. Eventually the boy would open up to him, he just hoped that when he finally did, it wouldn't be too late.


	4. Chapter 4

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

"_Me and my wife are inseparable. Sometimes, it takes three or four people to pull us apart."_

**Label Me Normal, Call Me Whole**

Time travel is a wonderful theory. It is based upon the principle of infinite possibilities that one could experience. Given the opportunity there is not a soul out there who would turn down the chance of rewriting their own history. But the one thing that they fail to tell you about time travel happens to be something commonly overlooked. It is _boring_.

Naruto was currently experiencing the mind numbing boring-_ness _ of D-Rank missions. He had completely forgotten just how annoying, repetitive, and excruciating they could be. When Kyuubi had oh-so-kindly informed him that he was now living his own history, he thought only upon what he could change, the people he could save, the life he could live.

Somehow the memory of his life between being a Genin and his first Chuunin exams were wiped from his mind. Now though, they were all coming back to him with such excruciating clarity that, to Naruto, it felt as if he was experiencing a very twisted sense of Deja-vu. He hated it.

-_Twist, yank, pull. Twist, yank, pull. Repeat….repeat. Sun glaring down, sweat dripping, pink hair sticking. Shift, glance, look. Sensei sitting, shade, lemonade, relaxed. Anger, frustration, snap. _

"_For the love of Kami, Sensei!"_

"_Ano-Sakura?" Hesitant, cautious, unsure._

"_No, Naruto! We've been at this for hours… It would go a lot faster if Sensei would get off his lazy ass and help!"_

_Silence, trepidation, awaiting. Orange book lowered, grey eye looking up. "Did you say something, Sakura-chan?"_

_Pause, disbelief, anger. "ARGHHH!"_-

It was so seemingly _normal_. He didn't know how to react…so he didn't. The blonde haired Jinchuuriki pasted that too big, too wide smile upon his sun kissed face and labeled it normal. He pulled the broken pieces of his mind together, connected them with splintered shards of shattered dreams and called himself whole.

Deft quick fingers pulled weeds out of the nearly overtaken garden and Naruto pretended he was happy. He pretended for them, his teammates, who were sweltering in the heat beside him, piling their weeds next to his. They weren't accustomed to such labor, their skin already burning in the cloudless day, sweating from the heat, fingers starting to tremble from the repetitive grab, pull, drop, and repeat.

Cerulean blue eyes took in the form of his once friends. Sakura had tied her hair back long ago, parts escaping only to be brushed back by annoyed fingers. Her skin was a bright red as she panted in the noon day sun. Arms trembling from the exertion, but not a word came from her parched mouth. Last week she would have complained, last week she would have whined, last week…but that was last week.

Sasuke shirt was drenched in his perspiration, a prominent frown etched onto his face. The back of his neck was an unhealthy red where the sun was beating down upon him. Naruto saw Sakura's green eyes dart to her crush, her eyebrows drew together and a sense of sadness surrounded her. Last week Sasuke had insulted her and told her to shut up and stop whining. It crushed the cherry blossom's heart to hear such harsh words come from her crush.

Naruto vaguely remembered the same thing happening last time. He remembered it being a rainy day, Tuesday…maybe, and they were doing another D-Rank mission. Words of annoyance seeped from pale pink lips and the last Konoha Uchiha had lost it. Naruto remembered comforting the girl, words of adoration escaping him, before Sakura turned her ire towards the dead last. This time though…this time.

He hadn't comforted his sister in all but blood, because this wasn't _his_ Sakura. And it _hurt_ to know that this Sakura would never be his Sakura. He wouldn't let her become what she once was, a broken shell of a woman; the will to fight, to help, to _be, _slowly leaving her until it left just a withered husk of hopelessness in its wake.

Naruto vowed to protect her from what was to be, but he would not protect her from herself. She needed to learn, and Naruto, at the moment, couldn't really care less because he needed to act normal, needed to be the Naruto they remembered. They didn't want the Naruto he had become, and he would be anything they wanted and everything they needed because these were his precious people.

-_"What are you doing, Naruto?" Grey eye looking in suspicion._

_Awkward chuckle, halted smile… "Nothing?" Shift, looking down, away. Always a terrible liar._

"_Was that a question?" Crouched in the dirt, eye level._

"_It's just…" pause, unsure, unknowing. "Hinata…"_

"_Ahh," Understanding, mask crinkling over smile. Hand reaching, rest in hair, ruffling. "That's not your responsibility, Naruto."_

_Bite lip, glance away, unsure. "I know," mumble. "But she has no one else. Not since Neji…" No, can't think about that._

_Another masked smile, soft chuckle. Change topic. "Maybe I can help?" Half formed baby cradle lying between._-

So he laughed as his fingers dug into the earth even though his soul cried inside. He smiled at his teammates even as another part of him shattered into thousands of pieces. He pretended to be normal, pretended to whole for them, because that was what they needed.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Kakashi watched from behind his famous orange book, eye barely peering over the top, observing his Genin team. Sakura had improved much after that little debacle with the Uchiha heir. She had stopped her complaining and thrown herself into her training, taking on every mission with a sense of vigor, even though they were just carrying groceries, weeding gardens, and chasing that possessed cat. It was as if she was trying to prove the Uchiha wrong.

The Jounin silently applauded her dedication even though he frowned upon the reason for such an improvement. But she was only 12 and still had years ahead of her for maturing, and Kakashi wanted to give her _years_. Too many teams were broken apart because of the cruelty in the world and the silver haired sensei wanted to spare her that for a while longer.

A dark grey eye darted to the pale skinned avenger. There hadn't been much improvement on his part, but honestly, the Jounin wasn't expecting it yet. They had only been a unit for just under a month and they still had a long way to go. He still held himself apart from his other two teammates, as if he was above them, but Kakashi could see that the act was beginning to wear thin.

After the bell test, Sakura started to defer to Naruto when she needed to, and even more after Sasuke had all but blown up at her. And Naruto just seemed to take it in stride. That ever present goofy smile was always etched upon his face, as if painted on, and his eyes held patient understanding. He gazed upon Sakura and Sasuke as an adult would to persistent children. It bothered Kakashi a great deal.

The Jounin turned his gaze upon the object of his fascination. Uzumaki Naruto, on the surface he was an orphan child who took great pleasure in tormenting his elders through pranks and complete lack of manners. The dead last of his graduating group, he was thick headed and presumptuous. But underneath the underneath was a mystery that left the former ANBU stumped.

As Kakashi took in the sight of his last student he couldn't help but think that there was something seriously wrong with him. He didn't know what it was, but he _knew_ that it didn't bode well for the blonde Jinchuuriki in the end. He wanted to help him, but he just didn't know how to go about it.

Approaching the Hokage was useless as the old man refused to listen to reason. He was set in his ways and his opinion on the blonde headed prankster and told Kakashi he was being paranoid. Naruto's academy instructor was also a no go. Iruka thought that the Jounin was trying to get rid of the Jinchuuriki because he was the container for the most powerful Bijuu, and he told Kakashi where he could go shove his observations with a fake smile and deadly glare.

Kakashi sighed in annoyance as his eyes once again settled on his book. He knew he couldn't approach Naruto about it; the boy had practically bolted every time he found himself alone with his sensei and it left an uncomfortable feeling in his chest. Hatake was his instructor, his teacher; he was supposed to protect the Genin until they could protect themselves. Having one of his students terrified of him left a twisted ball in his chest that made it hard to breathe.

He would have to wait until Naruto came to him then. Another sigh escaped him because he knew how likely that was to happen. But he could be patient when he wanted to, so he would wait.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

The Hokage's office was just as he remembered it. Sky blue, henged eyes, took in the old worn desk, the smell of smoke and parchment, the sight of books and scrolls lining the walls. And there was Jiji, in his ridiculous hat and pipe in his mouth, staring at the Genin team in what he supposed was amusement. Naruto kept his gaze riveted to the wall behind the old man, because he _knew_ that he would break if he looked.

-_Hands yanking, pulling. Kicking, screaming. Arm wrapped around waist, lifting, carrying. Dropped in chair. Hokage looked up, smoke obscuring view. Long sigh. "Naruto…"_

_Anger behind him, ANBU standing attention. "Do you know what this little brat did?"_

_Another sigh, annoyance. Glance out window, taking in new masterpiece. "You may leave Crow."_

_Little boy fidgets, nervous, scared. "Naruto…" pauses, chuckles. Little boy looks up. "What did I say about pranking my ANBU?"_

"_Um…" Caution, unsure. Old man laughs harder._-

His hands were fisted in his pockets, blood seeping around the wounds his nails were digging into his flesh. A smile was spread across his face, eyes squinting slightly as tears threatened to build. Muscles trembled slightly as he looked upon his grandfather and father figure in the room together, and he almost forgot to just _breathe_.

Blood was rushing past his ears and he heard a quiet chuffing noise in the background as Kyuubi attempted to comfort him. Jiji's lips were moving, but Naruto couldn't hear him due to being on the verge of a mental breakdown. Later, he told himself…it was becoming a repetitive mantra.

Thankfully it seemed fate was destined to repeat itself as Sakura rose to the challenge when Naruto failed to. "No," a calm feminine voice filled the void that had taken residence in the room.

"What did you just say?"

Iruka looked scandalized as Sakura squared her shoulders back and _glared_ at the man. "I said no, N-O, NO! I will _not_ do another useless D-Rank mission. For the love of everything holy, we are ready for something better, and I will not waste my time weeding another person's garden or babysitting another's brat. Enough is enough," passion made her eyes glow green as she barely resisted the temptation to slam her hands upon the desk. "Give us something worthwhile."

The tension in the room was palpable at the young girl's conviction. It seemed to stretch on abnormally long and Naruto could visibly see Sakura losing her confidence as she folded into herself. Then it was broken by laughter as the Hokage started to chuckle almost hysterically. Iruka still looked furious and Kakashi just looked confused. "Very well," Jiji started, straightening the scrolls on his desk. "You want something worthwhile; I got just the mission for you. It's a C-Rank mission, an escort to the Wave Country." Age old eyes glanced into the corner as he addressed the ANBU. "Bring in the client."

Naruto looked around in dazed confusion as the door opened and a drunken old man stumbled in. His heart nearly leapt into his throat as he took in the familiar sight. Tazuna, the drunken bridge builder, how could he forget about Zabuza and Haku?

He remembered the mission to Wave, the days spent walking and the nights spent sleeping…together. Oh sweet Kami, how was he going to survive this without being found out? Kyuubi sent comforting thoughts and reassurances to his host, but Naruto didn't hear a word as he imagined the thousands of ways this could so very horribly wrong. Suddenly he wished his days could go back to being boring.


	5. Chapter 5

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

"_Could you drive any better if I shoved that cell phone up your ass?"_

**Undercover Thoughts**

The mountains were cast in shadow, the crescent moon just visible in the northern sky. The greying night was slowly receded into dawn as the Sun made its way lazily over the mountains in the east, burning the clouds in orange as birds awoke to greet the new day. Only one person was not happy to see the new day come.

Naruto stood alone at the gates of Konoha, watching with trepidation as the sun climbed steadily higher, tanned fingers playing with the plain leather bracelet attached to his non dominant wrist. It was a rather boring brand of leather, an unbecoming faded brown, flat, with no decorations on its surface. But it wasn't there for pleasure, it was there for necessity. Though it bore no designs on its surface, its counterpart side could not say the same.

On the underside of the bracelet, pressed against his skin were symbols etched deeply within the leather and infused with dark chakra, Kyuubi's chakra. Naruto spent many hours into the night, trying to think of ways so make his henge more permanent and finally, just when he was about to give up, the answer came to him.

ANBU had used a similar device to conceal themselves on extended undercover operations. Instead of continuously holding a henge, they would infuse the henge into an object and wear said object. Not only was it easier on their chakra, seeing as it required a lot less, but they could put extra chakra into it so it would hold for a dozen hours or more without having to be fed more energy.

In short, that meant that Naruto could now sleep with the knowledge that no one would find out his secret. It wouldn't stand up to somebody with a vision bloodline, like the Uchiha's or the Hyuuga's, but for now it would do.

There was a downside however, if he put too much chakra into it, it would destroy the bracelet and all the chakra stored within would explode. Putting too little into it would have the henge dropping prematurely with no warning. Having monstrous chakra reserves, Naruto had to ensure that he didn't overdo it, so he had been feeding small amounts of chakra into the bracelet since he had created it and had no time to sleep.

Naruto was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and he would have to spend the whole day hiding it from his team and Sharingan Kakashi himself. This was not going to be easy. Sighing softly, Naruto felt his ear twitch as soft padded footsteps made their way towards him. The scent of blossoms filled his nose as they came closer. Sakura was early, as usual.

Tracing a clawed finger over the bracelet once more, Naruto felt the henge settle upon him once more just before the kunoichi came within a visible distance. The henge felt wrong for some reason, not that it wasn't functioning properly; it just felt wrong to hide behind the visage of a human.

His gut twisted unpleasantly at the thought. Never before had he had to pretend to be human. Normal, yes…happy, of course. Never human though; it left a bad taste in his mouth and unsettling feeling nestling beneath his heart. It felt like hate. Was this what it felt like to hate something, to hate yourself?

A chuffing of reassurance heard only by the hanyou settled his turbulent mind. Before…_everything,_ understanding Kyuubi and his strange noises was nigh impossible unless the ancient demon spelled it out to him. Now though, the ability to understand him came like second nature. Naruto wished it was because of the time he spent with the Bijuu, but he knew the truth, it was the demon inside himself, the demon he had now become.

The irony still did not escape him, even after the month he had spent in the déjà vu world he found himself in. He was now the demon he spent his entire life trying to prove to others he was not. Naruto vaguely wondered what he was to do with himself now.

Pulling away from such thoughts, Naruto forced his facial muscles to cooperate as a faux smile was aimed at his female companion. Sakura was unimpressed and proceeded to ignore him, gazing off into the distance for her Sasuke-kun. His faux smile twisted into something far more bitter when her back was turned.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Team Seven accompanying Tazuna was set to leave the village of Konohagakure no Sato roughly an hour after dawn, so predictably they left around noon. Sasuke was in the lead, looking far too bored for someone his age. The client was several yards behind with a bottle of rice wine in one hand and talking animatedly with the other.

Sakura and Naruto were on either side listening enthusiastically to what the bridge builder had to say. Well Sakura was at least, Naruto just looked like he was. Kakashi brought up the rear, nose in his orange Icha Icha book, appearing to be relaxed and out for a daily stroll.

It would take five days to reach their destination, and so far it was looking to be a normal and boring escort mission, but something about it felt off to Kakashi. Hatake narrowed his one visible eye on the client, observing him discreetly from behind his book. Tazuna walked stiffly, even during a conversation, his eyes darted around every once and a while, sometimes even glancing back at him, as if checking to make sure that the Jounin was still there. He was nervous. Far too nervous for this to be a simple escort job.

Something was clearly being hidden from the Jounin Sensei, but Kakashi couldn't begin to guess what it was until they were mostly likely knee deep into it. Whatever it was though, was not good. He had half a mind to call of the mission all together, but that would be very un-shinobi of him. Instead he would wait and see what happened, but at the first sign of things not being what they seemed, Kakashi would get his kids out of there, and Kami help whoever was standing in his way. After all, there was nothing more dangerous than a Jounin Sensei whose Genin were in trouble.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Knees scrapped and bruised, stale sweat drying on skin, dirt underneath fingernails, Naruto climbed slowly into his bedroll. Several feet away, in the shared tent, Sasuke did the same. Tomorrow they would meet the demon brothers and learn the real reason behind the attacks. In two days they would spend the night at a small fishing village, before crossing the lake. Hours after that, Zabuza would attack and Naruto would drag the comatose Kakashi to Tazuna's house, which they wouldn't reach until the fourth day. It all felt like it was happening to fast.

The once ANBU Captain buried his head into his pillow, willing himself to sleep. He felt so unprepared, how the hell did he even survive the first time around? Beside him, Sasuke shifted before settling into a deep sleep. Sakura had already nodded off an hour before, and he could hear Tazuna drunkenly stumbling to his own tent.

Outside of the thin fabric sat his Sensei, tending to the fire and probably still reading the thrice damned book. Naruto let a broken smile grace his face at the thought. Something's never changed. Even after Konoha had been destroyed, and the dead left to rot in the sun because they didn't have the time to bury or even burn them; even after their comrades died around them, the elders falling asleep in exhaustion and not waking again, the children crying while covered in their parents blood, Kakashi could be seen with the glaringly orange and always inappropriate book.

-_"Naruto…" Drawn out, question._

"_Yes, Kakashi-Senpai?" Innocent, soft smile, mischievous blue eyes._

_A soft sigh, disbelief. Step closer. "Is that my Icha Icha your reading?"_

_Laughter, step away. "Yep," popping the p. Holding orange book higher, flip page._

_Step closer, cautious. Ground muddy from rain, worried. "Why are you reading my_ _very adult book?"_

_More laughter, another step further. "I was curious…"_

"_Your too young for that, give it back," denial, demand, step closer._

_Smile, laugh, dance away. "I'm twenty-three, Senpai."_

_Huff in annoyance. "Naruto…" pause, lunge, grab, slip. Wrestle, mud flying, laughter echoing._-

Naruto frowned softly to himself as the last few years came back to mind. He tried to block it out, but in his despair and still fragile state of mind he was not able to. Twisting over so he was laying on his back, Naruto prepared himself for a long night. It seemed he would get no sleep this night either, or he would risk waking his teammates with one of his nightmares.

Sighing softly, the Jinchuuriki allowed himself to be lulled in a slight meditative state from the sounds of popping firewood and turning pages.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

The next day found the group in the same formation as the day before. Kakashi was still bringing up the rear, giving him ample opportunity to observe those around him and he didn't let that go to waste. Hiding a yawn behind his mask, Kakashi tiredly flipped through the book he knew by heart and watched his companions.

Having taken a large portion of the watch last night, he was still relatively tired, but nothing that would impair his performance. In fact, he looked down right chipper. Tazuna was his normal grumpy self, probably suffering from a hangover. The Jounin had never seen someone drink as much or as often as the bridge builder. Still, even with the hangover, he was able to continue his conversation with Sakura as he explained the layout of his village and the history behind it.

Sakura was nodding her head in enthusiasm and asking thorough and in depth questions. Given a few more years and polishing of her subtlety, she would make a formidable intelligence gatherer. Perhaps if she ever reached Jounin she would go into tactics and possibly even interrogation, but Kakashi filed that thought away for later. It was too soon to tell what field she would find herself in for a long while yet.

Sasuke, still in the lead and still looking as bored as ever, was pretending not to listen to the conversation behind him. He was far more subtle than many his age, but Kakashi could still read the curiosity in his student as he slowed his pace just a tick to hear better. Smothering an amused smile, the Jounin wondered how far the Uchiha would go up in the ranks. Further than Sakura, definitely, possibly even ANBU if he worked hard enough.

Perhaps he would follow in his brother's footsteps and go into assassination. His one eye roamed the younger boy's frame as he took in his build. He certainly had the arsenal for it, and a body built for speed and silence over strength. Yes, the Uchiha would go far, if his ego didn't get in the way, that is.

Kakashi let his eye finally land upon his most confusing student. Naruto was listening to the bridge builder, appearing to be fascinated by the information that the other held, but the Jounin could tell that the kid's heart wasn't into it. The gaki nodded at the right moments, and hummed in thought a couple of times, but he wasn't really paying attention.

The Copy-Cat Nin knew that Naruto would do well in the undercover field, shedding and putting on new identities like one would clothes. The kid was good at acting, the best he had seen in fact. If he hadn't stayed around on the first day and caught the apathetic look and Jounin level Jutsu he had so easily performed, Kakashi believed that he would still only see a far too happy little bundle of sunshine.

He thought briefly upon the reason for the acting, but it was pushed out of his mind as he felt two unknown chakra signatures and a puddle upon the road on a cloudless day. Curious.


	6. Chapter 6

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

"_I am in my own little world but it's okay they know me here."_

**Hazy Blue**

The noon day sun shined brightly in the cloudless sky, a gentle breeze danced among the leaves in the forest brushing sunshine yellow hair out of a sweaty and dirty face. Uzumaki Naruto's sky blue eyes were riveted on the back of his unmarred left hand, as if expecting to see something that wasn't there. He momentarily pulled his gaze over to the two unconscious men tied to the tree, before he once again found himself staring at the back of his hand. Something should be there…shouldn't it?

His memory was spotty at best, but he did remember the Demon Brothers…and the back of a hand…his hand? Perhaps…most likely. It was supposed to be bleeding, that was what had happened the first time. He had been injured, _poisoned?_ Why was it so hard to remember?

Tazuna's voice drowned out his annoyed huff as he finally pulled his attention away from his unmarred hand and back into the present. The bridge builder was perspiring at an alarming rate, even in this heat, and his voice caught in his throat several times as he nervously explained his situation. Sakura had a patented worried look plastered on her blotchy red skin while Sasuke looked on in what Naruto knew to be feigned indifference.

Kakashi on the other hand was looking directly at Tazuna, orange book suspiciously absent and annoyance creasing the corner of his one visible eye. Even though his attention seemed fully focused on the alcoholic architect, Naruto suspected that he was being watched just as closely. His sensei had this way of watching something intently without ever really looking at it.

_-Twitch, annoyance…ignore it, if you ignore it, it will go away. Shoulders tightening, fidget. Skin crawling, frustration. "Kakashi! Stop staring at me!" Laughter.-_

Naruto had always found it creepy and Kakashi found his reaction hilarious. So he had _stared_ at his young student as often as possible, and the Jinchuuriki had developed a sort of sixth sense for that look. And right now, Kakashi was watching him like a hawk.

He was careful to keep his face neutral as he 'listened' to Tazuna ramble on with his woe-is-me life story, but inside he was a mess. Reviewing his memory, he tried desperately to find where he had slipped, and how bad the damage was…but his mind came up empty. He recalled being clueless as the Demon Brothers burst out of the puddle and attacked the small entourage.

He remembered being clueless, because he had practiced the look of startled befuddlement all morning before he left his tent. The image was also fortified by the fact that he was in fact startled. It was like watching a scary movie, you knew that the killer was behind the door, hiding in the shadows, and yet you still jumped when he is revealed.

'Kakashi' was wrapped in chains and ripped apart while Sakura screamed bloody murder. Sasuke immediately threw himself into battle, like he had something to prove. Naruto danced between covering Tazuna and lending assistance to his Uchiha team member, while still trying to attempt mediocrity. It wasn't easy, that was for sure, but he was almost positive he was successful. And then Kakashi jumped in and saved the day.

Naruto had spent every waking minute trying to remember every detail of the mission to Wave Country. Aside from the most important events, the less significant details got lost in his memory. For instance, Naruto knew that the Demon Brothers attacked them on the second day of their travel, but the time they attacked eluded him.

The now young Jinchuuriki felt as if he was in some sort of horror film. After they ate a short breakfast and packed up camp they continued on their way to Tazuna's house, Naruto spent the entire journey in a state of hyper awareness. He was paranoid and jumpy, every unexpected sound startling him. A twig snapping in the forest, a herd of deer startled by predators, even birds taking flight caused his heart beat to pound frantically in his chest and his breath to stick in his throat.

His only outward sign of his unexplainable nervousness was the clenching of his fists, nails biting into skin, and a small tick under his right eye. None of these reactions should have been noticed by the Copy Nin, especially since Naruto was not facing him for the majority of the time. So what had he seen? Maybe he noticed something earlier, before the mission started…perhaps during training. Or did he notice the bracelet? Did he recognize it for what it truly was?

Naruto glanced down upon his wrist where the unassuming object lied as they continued on their journey, Sasuke yet again taking point. It looked like an ordinary plain bracelet, the only thing off was the Chakra stored within, which Kakashi wouldn't have noticed unless his Sharingan was active.

The Jinchuuriki would have known if the Sharingan was used with how aware of Chakra he was. He could literally feel the Chakra around him and knew when it was being used, a skill that was amplified when he had _changed_. The Sharingan was a Chakra guzzler, and Naruto would have definitely noticed if his Sensei had used it, even for just a moment.

As Naruto took up the position to the right and slightly behind the client, he inconspicuously glanced backwards at the object of his worry. His Sensei was once again reading the orange book of perverseness, looking for all intents and purposes calm, in control, and completely uninterested.

The time traveler banished thoughts of paranoia from his mind as he once again looked ahead. There was no way Kakashi knew, no reason for him to suspect, therefor there was no reason for Naruto to trouble his already broken mind on nonexistent problems. He had enough as it was, and it would probably drive him crazy just thinking about it…like he wasn't crazy already.

Fingers playing mindlessly with his bracelet, he let a self-deprecating smile grace his lips only for a few seconds before once again donning the mask of idiocy and playfulness. He never noticed the single grey eye watching him from behind with an intensity reserved for mysteries and puzzles.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

By the time they reached the small fishing town by the lake it was nearing dusk and Sakura was exhausted and in desperate need of a shower. The sun had been beating down them all day and sweat had made the dirt kicked up from the well-traveled commerce road to stick to her. She felt filthy and her hair was tangled to the point of being painful.

Glancing over to Sasuke-kun, she blushed in embarrassment as she realized that her long standing crush had seen her in that kind of state. She couldn't even imagine what he must have thought of her looking as she did. Sakura narrowed her emerald green eyes as she shot a dark glare at the cause of her un-presentable appearance.

This was all Naruto's fault…she hadn't figured out how it was his fault just yet, but it usually was, so she would blame him anyway. Ignoring the fact that it was herself who had requested a more 'worth-while' mission, and Sasuke-kun who had suggested they continue on even though they found their C-Rank to have elevated into a B, she continued to let the blonde dead last feel her ire as they checked into the local Inn.

Within minutes the receptionist placed two room keys on the wooden counter with a pasted smile and a barely annoyed, "Have a nice day." Kakashi had intended to room with the client while his Genin students took the other, but Sakura either didn't notice or didn't care because she had already grabbed one of the keys, stormed to the designated room, and locked the door before anyone could so much as breathe a complaint. A few seconds later and the sound of running water was heard, blocking out Sasuke's annoyed huff and Naruto's hesitant knocking. Kakashi sighed tiredly and gave the two boys a gentle wave in the direction of the second room. It looked like they were all bunking together.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

The room was dark, the crescent moon casting just enough light in the open window to see by. Naruto's eyes were staring blankly at the off white wall near the bathroom door from the mat he lay on. Tazuna had commandeered the first available bed and fell asleep before the rest even had a chance to get into the room. He laid on top of the sheets, completely dressed, sake bottle still clutched in one hand, and snoring _loudly_.

Kakashi had waited a few minutes before declaring seniority and claiming the last bed, leaving Naruto and Sasuke to work out where they were placing their bedrolls. The blonde had hoped for a peaceful night on a comfortable mattress, but had spent the majority of the last seven years sleeping on the ground; another night wouldn't make a difference.

So, here he was, bedroll closest to the bathroom and the furthest away from the window, trying to sleep. Hazy blue eyes blinked slowly before sliding shut, muscles relaxing as sleep pulled him in, only for the gleeful face of Uchiha Madara to flash behind his eyelids. Naruto found himself once again staring at the wall with hazy blue eyes.

Sasuke was sleeping beneath the window, his deep breaths and light snores drowned out by the much louder snoring of the drunken bridge builder. Kakashi's breathing was deep and steady, the sound of one in a light sleep, but Naruto couldn't be sure if his Sensei was actually asleep, so getting up for a midnight stroll was out of the question. He prepared himself for another long sleepless night.

Sighing in exhaustion, he shifted slightly to escape the pull of sleep and chose instead to stare at the side of Kakashi's bed, where his mattress laid. It was difficult sleeping like this, and he could pretend for just a moment that he never traveled through time. Instead it was just his Sensei and himself, resting in their shared tent after a long mission and a day of fighting. It was almost normal to the point that it hurt. He wished for those days again, before Kakashi had been killed.

-_Anger, sadness, sobbing as pain tore into his heart. Iruka was gone, killed, dead. He wasn't coming back. Shifting, trying to be quiet, blanket pulled to chin. Sliding fabric, footsteps approaching. Blanket grabbed, pulled, replaced, warm body behind. "Kakashi?"_

"_Go to sleep, Naruto," arm around waist, back against chest, legs entwined. Comfort.-_

Naruto wondered briefly what would have happened if he had ever gained the courage to tell his Senpai his feelings. Where they shared…did it matter? Closing his eyes briefly, he rubbed his hand down his face in annoyance. Even if Kakashi returned his feelings it didn't matter, because that was in the past…future…whatever. His Kakashi was dead, and this Kakashi currently could give two shits about him.

A tear threatened to escape as his chest constricted painfully. He took a deep shuddering breath before he pushed those thoughts away and squashed his urge to cry. Crying never helped anybody and it certainly never helped him…Madara loved it when he cried.

_-"Fuck, yeah," Laughter, pain, glee. "Nngh, gods you're so tight," thrust, thrust, push, pull. Lean in, whisper. "You're so beautiful when you cry."_

"_Please," broken, hurt. "No more!" Laughter.-_

Kyuubi chuffed at him several times before emitting a deep rumbling growl that would have sounded like a purr, except it was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and Bijuu do_ not_ purr. Naruto mentally chuffed back in reassurance, vaguely aware that he shouldn't even know how do to that let alone know what it meant, but he was far too tired to deal with his own oddities.

Naruto tensed suddenly, body ready to spring into action, as Kakashi shifted in his sleep in the bed above him, before settling down. The Jinchuuriki listened to his breathing pattern closely for several moments making certain that he was still sleeping, alive, and _there_. It took him a few minutes more to relax completely, and a couple minutes after that he was out like a light as his Sensei's comforting, familiar presence lulled him into a blissful sleep. That night he didn't dream at all.


	7. Chapter 7

***Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and ideas….and the plot bunnies in the corner. Please don't sue, I'm a poor college student that has no life and way too many video games.***

"_If you don't go out on the limb…how are you going to get the good apple?"_

**Breathe**

Naruto lay gasping on the edge of the lake, still half in the water. He felt like a drowned rat, and shook his head to get the water out of his ears. Double checking to make sure that his henge was still in place, he stood slowly before making his way over to the group.

The fight went pretty much the same as last time, and feeling a little optimistic Naruto would say it was exactly the same. Kakashi dueled Zabuza before getting captured in the bubble. Naruto and Sasuke defended against the Mizu-Bunshin attack and eventually worked out a plan to free their Sensei. Tazuna stared at them in shock, and Sakura was completely useless.

The Hunter-Nin stepped in before Sensei could complete the killing blow, and left with Zabuza's body. Kakashi's eyes tracked the vanishing duo, but he didn't try to stop them. Naruto knew that using the Sharingan that much had wiped out Sensei's chakra reserves. He was surprised to see the man still standing, though he knew that that wouldn't be for much longer.

The fog around them was disappearing. Kakashi stood, dripping water and legs shaking as the adrenaline worked its way out of his system. Turning, Naruto watched as their Sensei took in his group, Sharingan flashing over them quickly. Tazuna was shaking behind him, Sakura next to him, looking just as scared. Sasuke kneeled on the hard ground, panting in exhaustion as Naruto jogged over to them, soaking wet and full of energy.

Stopping next to Sasuke, Naruto gaze flicked around to their surroundings, making sure that Zabuza and Haku had really left. He could hear Tazuna giving directions to his place in the background, but he didn't pay much attention to it. Turning back to the group, Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed that Kakashi had moved a lot closer, now only several feet away.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked softly. Naruto shifted anxiously under his gaze, eyes darting between his teammates and the ground as they all confirmed no injuries. Fingers subconsciously playing with his bracelet, he never noticed as Kakashi's gaze was riveted on the small object, before their Sensei passed out from chakra exhaustion.

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Naruto sat at the dining room table with the rest of his team, sans instructor. It had taken the rest of the day, and the better part of the next to get to Tazuna's house, dragging the comatose Kakashi between them. Naruto had to do most of the heavy lifting as Sakura was a girl and didn't have as much upper body strength, Sasuke was a prick and didn't care, and Tazuna was so drunk he could barely keep himself upright.

_-"We need to go faster Naruto," mumble, slurred._

"_Easy for you to say, Senpai," panting, exhausted, aggravated. "I'm the one hauling your fat ass through the fucking jungle."_

_Laughter, coughing, amusement. "Watch your mouth, Chibi. And you're not the one bleeding all over the fucking forest." Shouting, their getting closer. Faster, can't stop.-_

Eating his rice slowly, Naruto took in his teammates. Sakura looked tired, but happy as her hair dried from the excessively long shower she had taken. Sasuke ate his own meal with perfect manners as he appeared unimpressed and uncaring about the whole affair. Tazuna and his family looked generally happy, even little Inari, glad that his grandfather survived the trip home.

Finishing his meal long before the others, Naruto excused himself and went upstairs to the room he shared with Sasuke and their Sensei. Grabbing his pajamas, Naruto quickly got changed and made his way over to his bedroll. He couldn't remember exactly when Kakashi would awaken, but he assumed it would be sometime tomorrow.

A soft groan from across the room had Naruto pausing from getting into his sleeping bag. Standing, he made his way over to Kakashi slowly, worried that he was in pain. Kneeling by his Senpai's bedroll, Naruto's eyes assessed the man quickly, searching for injuries that he hadn't noticed at first.

His vest and shirt were gone, being cleaned and sown by Tazuna's daughter, but his mask was still in place, despite Sakura's and surprisingly Sasuke's attempts at removing it. Naruto hadn't let them. The Hitai-ate, scratched and dented from years of wear and tear, lay near the prone man. Naruto had debated on whether or not to put it back on, but had ultimately decided against it. Though he was worried about chakra depletion it wasn't like the man slept with it on normally, and it couldn't be comfortable.

"Sensei?" Naruto questioned, worried as the man's face pinched and eyes clenched shut. Kakashi moaned softly before his grey eye opened, thankfully the other one didn't. Kakashi stared at the ceiling, unmoving and dazed. Worried, Naruto reached out, to do what he didn't know, but stopped short of actually touching him. "Kakashi?"

Before he could react, a gloved hand flew up and latched upon his wrist in a vice grip. It wasn't painful, but a little uncomfortable. Adrenaline pumped into him as his heart rate skyrocketed. Yanking his arm back, Naruto tried to break the grip, but Kakashi barely even budged.

Instead, the man sat up, pulling the wrist closer to himself and consequently Naruto as well. Catching himself, Naruto ended up in a half kneeling, half sprawled position, twisting his body so there was as little contact between them as possible. "Kashi…wha-"

But then he saw, Kakashi's Sharingan was open and spinning. Following his gaze, Naruto felt his heart falter as he realized it was the bracelet he was staring at, the bracelet that rested just above the near painful grip of his Sensei. He watched as if in a daze as Kakashi brought up his other hand, fingers gliding over the leather before resting on the knot holding it together. "No," Naruto whispered, jerking back, trying to throw his weight against the hold. He grabbed his own wrist, hand covering the bracelet. But Kakashi's grip didn't loosen at all.

"No, don't, you can't," Naruto didn't shout, but he was close. Trying to pry the fingers off he struggled as his heartbeat became fast and sporadic. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, he had to get out.

_-Hands yanking, pulling. Fingers digging into his head, pulling his hair. "If I so much as feel teeth, I will destroy the rest of your tiny resistance and make you watch as my men torture ever last man, woman, and child until their all dead."_

_Pressure on his lips, harsh laughter, disgust. "Open your mouth, little Naruto…don't make me ask again." Compliance, despair. "Suck," obey. "Oh, yeah, just like that." Hands gripping the back of his head, forcing, pushing, gagging. "That's it, take it all like the slut you are." Groaning, too much, can't breathe. Forcing more…all, pushing away, trying to get air. Lungs burning, liquid erupting, choking. "So beautiful."-_

0o0~0o0~Page~Break~0o0~0o0

Kakashi stared at the bracelet in disbelief. He couldn't wrap his head around it. When he had first seen the bracelet, after the fight with Zabuza, he thought maybe he had been hallucinating. But he wasn't, and here was the proof. His Sharingan burned as what little chakra he had regained started to disappear, and Kakashi snapped his left eye shut. It wasn't like he needed to use it anymore anyway; he had already seen the object.

The Jounin wondered how Naruto was able to get a hold of such a piece of jewelry. As far as he knew, nobody outside the ANBU even knew they existed. And then he asked himself _why_? Why would Naruto need such a thing?

He turned to his student, fully intending to get answers. Quiet words met his ears as he took in Naruto's hunched form. They sounded like can't, and don't. "Naruto?" Kakashi questioned softly, but his student didn't seem to hear him and just continued to struggle against his harsh grip.

Kakashi looked at him, really looked, and he didn't like what he saw. The boy was shaking, yanking uselessly to get away, and hyperventilating. He was in a full blown panic attack. "Naruto," he questioned louder, trying to get the boy's attention. He felt his chest tighten uncomfortably when he realized that he had caused this. "Naruto, you need to calm down."

His words didn't seem to be working so he tried another tactic. Adjusting his grip, Kakashi pulled until Naruto fell into his lap, and used the new position to hug the boy to himself hoping that physical comfort would work, forgetting Naruto's aversion to touch. Naruto struggling increased greatly, but Kakashi quickly subdued him.

Leaning back, Kakashi used the wall to support them, one arm wrapped around Naruto; he released his wrist and instead used it to place Naruto's head against his chest. "Breathe Naruto," Kakashi told him, rubbing his back in slow circles. Taking deep breaths himself, Kakashi patiently coached Naruto until the boy started to copy him. It took a long while, but slowly Naruto started to relax into him, ear pressed against Kakashi's beating heart.

Kakashi could feel Naruto's hands move from being fisted into the blanket to curling against him. Carding his fingers through the blonde hair Kakashi hummed thoughtfully to himself as Naruto stopped shaking and his breathing became even and deep. Glancing down, he saw that the boy had fallen asleep. He smiled slightly before rolling his neck and thunking his head against the wall. Staring out the window, he thought upon what he was going to do. It was obvious now, that something was seriously wrong with his youngest Genin and if Naruto's reactions were any clue, it was a lot worse than he originally thought. Kakashi was going to find out what happened, and then he was going to make somebody pay.


End file.
